Radio device with remote control

ABSTRACT

A radio device with a plurality of adjustable transmitting and receiving functions is provided. According to the invention, the operating functions can be remotely controlled and remotely monitored via a remote control device. To this end, the remote control device is connected via a radio relay to an interface of the radio device, to which additional protective measure for securing a fault-free transmission of the operating functions and information are assigned. In addition, a device is provided on the remote control device for the input and output of the information to be transmitted with the radio device.

This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCTInternational Application No. PCT/EP99/01055 which has an Internationalfiling date of Feb. 18, 1999, which designated the United States ofAmerica.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a radio device with a plurality ofadjustable transmitting and receiving functions suitable fortransmitting information in a complex wireless transmission system,e.g., in the shortwave range.

2. Description of the Background Art

It is known that stationary radio devices or radio devices installed inmotor vehicles can be operated by using remote control devicespositioned locally a few meters away or at a greater distance, wherebythe status of these radio devices can be monitored andtransmissions/reception information can be transmitted by these remotecontrol devices. Therefore, a suitable interface for a cable connectionbetween a radio device and a remote control device is provided on theradio device.

There is an increasing demand for free mobility of the user in space orover land without being tied to the radio device by cables or the like.This demand is encountered in particular with highly mobileapplications, for example, tactical military campaigns or otherspontaneous actions such as rescue and emergency actions.

In the field of telephones, it is known that with so-called cordlesstelephones, for example, a hand-held device can be connected by wirelesslink to a mobile base unit (German Patent No. 4,237,395). Not onlyspeech information but also program parameters for the base unit can betransmitted over these wireless links. Thus, for example, controlcommands can be transmitted to an electrical appliance such as a washingmachine, or status information can be obtained from such an electricappliance by providing the appliance with such a transmitting andreceiving device connected to a central telephone system (EuropeanPatent No. 800,303). However, this arrangement, which was developed fortelephone systems, is unable to meet the high demands made of radiodevices having a plurality of complex operating functions, especiallysince information must also be transmitted with the radio devices at thesame time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a systemwith which the above-mentioned demand for free mobility of the user canalso be met with such wireless transmission systems where high demandsare made of the operating functions.

According to the invention, a wireless link is used for transmitting theoperating functions as well as transmitting information between a remotecontrol device and the actual radio device. This wireless link also hasappropriate protective measures to ensure error-free transmission. Thus,such a radio device which has a plurality of complex operating functionsand is used for information transmission in a complex wirelesstransmission system such as a shortwave transmission system can also beremotely controlled and remotely monitored by the user, while the usercan nevertheless move freely in space or over land.

With the system according to the invention, the mobile remote controldevice is connected directly to the radio device instead of beingconnected by way of an intermediate central telephone exchange, as isthe case with the known cordless telephone systems (European Patent No.800,303), so this system is also extremely reliable in operation andcannot be paralyzed by failure of the central exchange.

The additional protective measures in wireless transmission ensure thatunauthorized persons cannot intervene in the operating and informationtransmission system. The measure according to this invention is suitablefor transmitting speech as well as other information, possibly even in atime-division multiplex method. With the radio device according to thisinvention, the actual complex devices for setting the transmission andreception functions and for establishing the connection remain in theactual radio device, and only the operating and monitoring commandstogether with the speech information or data information are exchangedover the remote control wireless link.

With respect to the choice of the transmission frequency, the power, thecoding (if used) and the data rate, the remote control wireless link isdesigned to permit secure transmission over a distance of severalhundred meters, so that the security of the transmission is notsignificantly inferior to that required for the system as a whole. Thisis achieved, for example, by using a suitable power management methodfor the wireless link either optionally or simultaneously, using asecure transmission protocol such as ARQ for information transmission orusing a band spread. Encoding is also possible on the remote controlwireless link to protect the control data, monitoring data andinformation data.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, itshould be understood that the detailed description and specificexamples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, aregiven by way of illustration only, since various changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawing,which is given by way of illustration only, and thus, is not limitive ofthe present invention, and wherein the single FIGURE illustrates a blockdiagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The FIGURE shows a conventional stationary or semi-mobile radio device 1which has a plurality of complex functions and is suitable fortransmitting information in a complex wireless transmission system,e.g., a shortwave transmission system. An interface 2 for a wirelessconnection over a remote control wireless link 3 is provided on radiodevice 1; through which radio device 1 has a wireless connection to alocally positioned remote control device 4 over the wireless link 3. Thetransmission frequency of this wireless link 3 is adjusted to theoperational scenario and may be selected between a shortwave connectionand an optical light (infrared) connection. The remote control device 4,which can be hand-held, is battery powered, has a display field for theoperating functions of radio device 1 and a corresponding operatingfield with which the user can set the individual operating functions ofthe radio device. In addition, a status display of the radio device inthe display field is also possible. In addition, an interface 5 forinput and output of the information to be transmitted over the radiodevice is also provided, the information being, for example, speech orother digital data. Thus, not only is the locally positioned radiodevice 1 operated and monitored over wireless link 3 but also the actualtransmission of information to the remote control device 4 takes placeover this wireless link.

Additional protective measures to ensure error-free transmission ofoperating data and information data are also provided on wireless link3. Wireless link 3 is equipped with suitable channel coding, forexample, and data transmission is handled according to a knowntransmission protocol. In addition, measures for encoding and decodingthe transmitted data may be provided to prevent unauthorized personsfrom penetrating the transmission link. In addition, measures to protectagainst outside interference may be provided, e.g., through a suitablesignal spread (use of a suitable method of sudden frequency change orother coding measures).

If radio device 1 already has a remote controller 6, which is connectedby a cable 7 to the radio device 1, a suitable interface 2 may also beprovided on the remote controller 6, so that a wireless remote controllink 3 to the locally positioned remote control device 4 can beestablished, and again in this case, input and output of information tobe transmitted over radio device 1 may also be provided by way of aninterface 5. Thus, not only remote control data and remote monitoringdata but also information can be transmitted over wireless link 3.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same maybe varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as adeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all suchmodifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to beincluded within the scope of the following claims.

1. A radio device for transmitting and receiving in a complex wirelesstransmission system, that the radio device comprising: an integratedremote control interface that is connected by a wireless link to amobile remote control device through which operating functions of theradio device can be remotely controlled and through which operatingstates of the radio device can be remotely monitored, wherein theintegrated remote control interface transmits the operating states andadditional data to the mobile remote control device and receives theoperating functions and the additional data from the mobile remotecontrol device, and wherein the wireless link has additional protectivemeasures to ensure error-free transmission of the operating functions,the operating states, and the additional data.
 2. The radio deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the wireless link has channel coding thatis suitable for error-free transmission.
 3. The radio device accordingto claim 1, wherein transmission of the operating function data andinformation data on the wireless link (3) takes place according to atransmission protocol that provides data security.
 4. The radio deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the operating functions, the operatingstates, and the additional data, which are transmitted via the wirelesslink, are encoded to prevent interception.
 5. The radio device accordingto claim 1, wherein the radio device is connected by a cable to astationary or semi-mobile remote control device that includes a secondremote control interface, and wherein the mobile remote control deviceis connected by a wireless link to the second remote control interfaceof the stationary or semi-mobile remote control device for transmittingand receiving.
 6. The radio device according to claim 1, wherein themobile remote control device is designed as a battery-powered hand-helddevice, which permits free mobility of the user.
 7. A mobile remotecontrol device comprising: a receiver for receiving at least anoperating state data via a direct secured wireless link from a remotedevice for monitoring an operating state of the remote device; atransmitter for transmitting at least operating data and user data viathe direct secured wireless link to the remote device, the operatingdata providing for remote control of the remote device; a display fordisplaying at least the operating state of the remote device; and anoperating field for enabling a user to enter the operating data forremote control of the remote device.
 8. The mobile remote control deviceaccording to claim 7, further comprising an information interface forproviding the transmitter with the user data.
 9. The mobile remotecontrol device according to claim 7, wherein the user data is speechdata or digital data.
 10. The mobile remote control device according toclaim 7, wherein the direct secured wireless link is shortwave orinfrared.
 11. The mobile remote control device according to claim 7,wherein the mobile remote control device and the remote device encodethe operating state data, the operating data, and the user data prior totransmission by an encoder.
 12. The mobile remote control deviceaccording to claim 7, wherein the mobile remote control device ishandheld.
 13. The mobile remote control device according to claim 7,wherein the remote device transmits via the direct secured wireless linkadditional user data to the mobile remote control device.
 14. Acommunication system comprising: a mobile remote control device having atransmitter and receiver; and a remote device for transmitting andreceiving to the mobile remote control device via a direct securedwireless link, wherein the mobile remote control device receivesoperating state data indicating an operating state of the remote deviceand transmits operating data and user data via the direct securedwireless link to the remote device, the operating data enabling remotecontrol of the remote device, and wherein the remote device transmitsadditional user data and the operating state data to the mobile remotecontrol device, the operating state data providing information formonitoring an operating state of the remote device.